More Than 60 Christians Killed in Ethiopia Massacre, Church Official Says
More than 60 Christians, including five children, have been killed in coordinated attacks across three areas in Ethiopia's Shirka district, located in the Oromia region. The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church reported that assailants ambushed residents from all directions and burned 20 homes to the ground. A church official called the assault a massacre, noting that arriving security forces were unable to halt the violence.
A local official blamed the raid on the Alliance for Survival, a new rebel coalition that includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The OLA has historically denied attacking civilians, while Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has accused the group of targeting religious institutions to destabilize the nation. The regional government pledged to pursue the perpetrators.
The assault ranks among the deadliest in a recurring pattern of ethnic and religious violence. The Ethiopian Human Rights Council reported in July 2026 that 458 people had been killed in the district over the previous four years, largely in attacks against Orthodox believers. With Ethiopia's population split between Christians (around two-thirds) and Muslims (one-third), church leaders stated that repeated appeals to authorities have produced no security solutions.
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